Toy Soldiers
by sylvir
Summary: ‘They’ll all go quietly and painlessly in their sleep. Its better this way.’ Iruka justifies in his head. A quiet man breaks taking the village with him. Complete. OC. Many character deaths. Not A Happy Story


No actual Naruto characters were harmed in the writing of this story.

**LATER**

Over the years the village hidden in the leaves survived many wars, invading enemies and mourned hundreds of deaths. After every near destruction and fallen comrade the village rebuilt and moved forever into the future. Tsunade wasn't sure if they could survive this.

Tsunade stepped away from Sakura's bed and winced in pain as the girl's mother shrieked in sorrow. She knew there was nothing she could say that would lessen the pain that these two civilians were experiencing. It felt like just yesterday that she had tea with them and explained how she would take the pink haired girl as an apprentice. The two beamed in pride as they hugged their daughter. Wiping her tears she left the room silently to attended to the numerous other victims.

After three hours of examining bodies, running tests, and consoling grieving parents Tsunade made her way to another exam room. Before opening the door she could already hear the sobs of those inside. She opened the door and avoided the eyes of those inside to cross the room and collapse in a chair.

Kurenai sat in the only bed holding Konohamaru awkwardly next to her very pregnant stomach with Ebisu standing nearby running his fingers through the boy's limp hair. This poor women was just getting over the death of the father of her baby and now had to mourn for the boy she had taken in as her own.

On the other side of the room Naruto wailed in agony over Sasuke. His cries echoed through the room drowning out Kurenai's soft sobs. Kakashi shook his head violently and teleported out of the room. Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses to wipe at his own tears.

The door creaked open and a very worn Shizune entered crossing quickly over to where Tsunade sat. She handed the Hokage a folder that drew everyone's attention. It was the results from the blood tests.

"Do we have any idea where he obtained a poison this strong?" Tsunade asked Shizune after reading the results twice.

"Yes," Shizune's voice was thick from crying. "The poison is derived from a plant that the Naras have stored. Plus," she paused for a moment to take some deep breaths, "Shikaku brought his son's body in an hour ago."

The Hokage squared her jaw and started into the subject she hated to deal with. "How many survivors?"

"Of those who were poisoned, no one has survived. Shikaku said the poison works quickly and creating an antidote takes too long to be helpful." She took a moment to look over the folder in her hand that she didn't turn over. "The only ex-students of his that are left are Neji who is out on a mission and Naruto here. As soon as he returns he'll be sent home. The family confirmed that Hinata and her sister were also poisoned."

"I was going to be last." All eyes drifted over to Naruto who gently placed Sasuke's head down on a pillow that Kurenai gave him from the bed. "Iruka invited me over for dinner tonight." Tsunade reached out and drew Naruto into her embrace to comfort the poor boy. "Why would he do this?"

"All ninjas break." Ebisu spoke for the first time. "He's been building towards one for too long."

Tsunade clenched her arms around Naruto's head to muffle his hearing some. "Were all the death from the poison?" She asked Shizune.

"Yes except for Shikamaru; he was strangled and not poisoned. It was probably when Iruka stole the plants." The younger doctor sighed and picked up her pig. "I need to go now. The parents want to know what happened."

"What's going to happen to Iruka-sensei?" The blond held on to her tighter.

"I don't know?" It wasn't often that she flat out lied to people but Naruto didn't need to know that Iruka had to be executed. The parents of the children they would be burring will scream for his blood and she will give it to them.

For a couple moments the room was silent save for crying coming from Kurenai and Naruto.

Suddenly the door exploded inward revealing a shaken Genma. "Hokage-sama, you have to come to the prison quickly." Tsunade immediately let go of Naruto and rushed after the Jounin followed closely by Naruto. Seeing Genma covered in blood and panting heavily she didn't ask any questions as they ran into the prison. The guards didn't stop them but led them strait to the cell where they were keeping Iruka.

"Hokage-sama, they brought him in almost catatonic. We only took our eyes off of him for a moment." The guard explained as they ran to the cell. "If we knew he was a danger to himself we would of put him under surveillance."

The cell door was open and blood covered the floor. Inside Kakashi had a still Iruka draped over his lap. The copy-nin held both Iruka's wrists in his green glowing fists. He was shaking and sweating from exertion. "I found him like this."

"How the fuck did this happen?" Tsunade yelled at the guard who backed up a few steps in fear.

"He must have bitten himself. We searched him thoroughly like everyone else." To her side Naruto fell to his knees. In the cell Kakashi was growing weak from pouring useless chakra into Iruka's lifeless body. A couple feet behind her Genma was throwing up on the floor.

For the first time since Jiraiya's death, the last great Sannin wept.

XX***XX

**EARLIER**

Iruka slowly pulled the curtains back to place the small potted flower on the windowsill. It was just budding and pink; the little girl's favorite color. From moving the curtain sun light streamed into the room much brighter than it had any right to be.

The little girl in the bed didn't move when he touched her shoulder and would most likely never move again. It wasn't fair to call her a little girl, not any more. By village standards she was an adult from the moment he gave her the Leaf headband and even at twelve was ready to take on the world.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze trying to ignore how the bandages covering her arms stopped at the wrist because there was nothing more to cover. The machines in the room that breathed for her and fed her and lived for her buzzed quietly in the background.

As the door opened he looked up to find himself facing her parents. Her father was a seasoned Jounin but the mother was a civilian who had asked him millions of questions at the entrance ceremony. He pulled away and walked around the bed. "I'm so sorry. I just came to give my con…" The stinging pain from her slap stopped his apology.

"How dare you come here." She screeched at him. "How dare you come here and act like none of this is your fault. Take this and get out. I never want to see you again." She pushed him away while shoving the blood covered headband into his hands. The women stomped over to the bed that held what was left of her daughter.

The Jounin gave him a nod and joined his wife at their daughter's side.

Iruka held the headband to his chest and slowly left them to their grief. Rushing out of the hospital he pushed through doctors and patients.

He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't prepare children, little children for death anymore. He couldn't take visiting another student maimed and half dead.

It wasn't enough to train them to survive; he wasn't enough.

His mind was broken by sorrow. He knew what he had to do. It would be better for all of them this way.

The Chunnin teacher of preGenin tucked the bloodied headband into his pocket and started into the woods towards the Nara residence.

XX***XX

**EVEN EARLIER**

Being a professional it wasn't often that he broke protocol and read files but the look of the Jounin had him curious then he saw the names of the three Genin. They were students that he had graduated only a weak before.

It had been a D rank mission outside of the village to help an old women, who's husband had died, harvest her crop. Bandits attacked. The Jounin was knocked unconscious and the two male Genin were killed. When she came to the last Genin, Makiku, was missing. She easily tracked them down but had been too late to stop them from…

Halfway through the report Iruka dropped it and ran to the bathroom to throw up violently. Raito followed him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah but I'm need the rest of the day off." He called out of the stall that he had collapsed in. Raito didn't ask anything else and Iruka was glad to hear the door open and shut.

He stood and stumbled to the sink.

This wasn't the first time that his ex-students had died and as long as he continued to teach preGenin is wouldn't be the last. But this hit him like no other.

Pain shot from his hand up through his arm as his fist shattered the mirror.

XX***XX

**EARLIEST**

"Makiku, you pass." The little girl jumped into Iruka's arms after tying her headband in place.

"Thank you sensei, thank you so much."

**THE END**

This was something that has been in my head for quite sometime now. Not everyone is going to understand it and most are not going to like it but I do. I will not apologies for it.


End file.
